When you arrive on the day of surgery, Dr. Hankins and his staff will receive you and get you settled in the procedure room. They will go over your surgery plan once more to make sure everyone agrees, and then an anesthetist will administer general anesthesia so you are comfortable during your procedure.
The time it takes for the procedure varies depending on which technique is being used for each procedure. For instance, the fat transfer method for augmentation will require more operative time depending on the extent of liposuctioned areas and your desired breast size.
After you are sedated, Dr. Hankins will make incisions hidden in your natural creases and folds to minimize visible scarring. After he is finished with the implant or fat graft, he will start working on the breast lift, manipulating the nipple and areola to improve the contour while also considering the shape and firmness of the underlying tissue in the breast.
He will finally close any incisions and place drains if needed. In addition, he will put on a compression garment to keep the new breasts in place and to minimize swelling.
We recommend you read more about the individual procedures on the Breast Augmentation and Breast Lift pages. [LINKS]
After the procedure, Dr. Hankins’ staff will monitor you in the recovery room to make sure the sedation has entirely worn off. Please arrange for a friend or family member to drive you home for your safety. Before you are discharged, you will be given prescription pain medications and a post-operation recovery plan, which you are highly encouraged to follow.
We recommend you take a week off from work and exercise. After the first week, you can resume light exercise except for chest muscle exercises, which can usually be resumed around four to six weeks.
We encourage patients to be gentle with their recovery because premature use of the pectoralis muscle can lead to potential complications such as displacement of the implant to the sides, fluid collection, or an increased risk of capsular contracture.
Dr. Hankins will see you regularly to check on your healing progress and show you various ways to massage your breasts so that your implants settle appropriately and give you the natural results you desire.